General Information

Ashgrove is a purpose-built surgery with one reception area, 2 waiting rooms, 22 consulting rooms, a wound dressing room, a phlebotomy room and an operating theatre.

We have installed CCTV in public areas of the premises for the purpose of crime prevention and public safety. If you have any questions please contact the Practice Manager.

Car Parking

There are two large public car parks within sight of the surgery.

Access for disabled persons arriving by car is available to the rear of the premises. This is a no parking area that must be kept clear to ensure doctors are not obstructed in attending emergency situations. Traffic wardens regularly patrol this area.

No Smoking Policy

In the interest of health the practice operates a NO SMOKING policy on our premises.

Violent Or Abusive Patients

In the interests of our staff and patients the surgery upholds a policy of zero tolerance towards any patient who is threatening, violent or abusive whilst at the surgery or when a health professional makes a home visit. Such patients may be reported to the police and/or removed from the practice’s list. Patients removed from the practice list will be informed in writing of the reasons for removal and the action they need take to register at another surgery.

Confidentiality

ANY PERSON GIVEN ACCESS TO YOUR RECORDS WILL BE SUBJECT TO A DUTY OF CONFIDENTIALITY. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO DISCLOSURE.

Research and Planning

Information about patients is requested for a wide variety of purposes including education, research, monitoring, epidemiology, public health surveillance, and clinical audit and planning. The practice will anonymise data where possible. Only where it is essential for the purpose will identifiable records be disclosed. Such disclosures will be kept to the minimum necessary for the purpose. You have the right to object to any such disclosure and your objection will be respected.

Financial Audit

The Local Health Board (LHB) has a duty to occasionally check on claims made by practices for payments. The person carrying out the check will have been properly trained and authorised by the LHB and will be subject to a duty of confidentiality in their employment contract or because of their registration with a statutory regulatory body. Only that small part of the record relating to the claim will be made available to the person carrying out the check.

Patients' Comments

In the pursuit of continually improving services to patients we welcome any comments or suggestions you may wish to make. Please pass your views in writing or verbally to the manager or any member of the team. Alternatively, you may place written comments in the suggestion box situated in the reception area. If you would like a response to your suggestion please ensure you give your name and address.

Patients' Concerns

We operate a practice complaints procedure in accordance with the NHS system of dealing with complaints. Our system meets national criteria.

Our manager, or a receptionist, will give you further information. Our practice complaints leaflet gives details of the procedure and is available from reception. Our aim is to give you the highest possible standard of service and we try to deal swiftly with any problems that may occur.

Please help us to help you.

If you wish to make a complaint about the Out of Hours service please telephone the Complaints Manager on 029 2037 6839 for advice on how to proceed.